If fans were craving more heart-pounding tension after yesterday’s nail-biting , they got it this morning as the women’s of the Combined discipline funneled into the Lead climax. Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret was leading the field, but just barely… some struggles from Garnbret on the last boulder (and, worrisomely, a potential finger injury) meant that other competitors were within striking distance on the scorecards. Team USA’s Brooke Raboutou, for example, was only trailing Garnbret by 0.4 points after the Boulder portion; the quartet of Australia’s Oceana Mackenzie, France’s Oriane Bertone, Great Britain’s Erin McNeice, and Austria’s Jessica Pilz were all hovering around 59 points apiece and still in the mix too. Such close scores set a story in motion for a that will be remembered and revered for years to come.

Here are the highlights.

Chaehyun Seo Sets an Early High Point

Someone had to set the early standard on the lead route of black boomerangs, white hexagons, and blue half-sphere volumes, and South Korea’s Chaehyun Seo did so with aplomb. In fact, even before she set the high point, she confidently cut feet several times to cheers from the crowd. She eventually cruised onto the headwall and fell with a route score of 76.1 (out of 100); it would stand as the mark to beat on the wall for several subsequent competitors’ attempts.

The Combined Scores Come into Play

Great Britain’s Erin McNeice was not able to reach Seo’s robust high point—McNeice fell significantly lower on the wall while attempting a right-hand cross-move. But McNeice’s attempt, even if inferior to Seo’s, gave everyone a reality check, of sorts; it reminded us all of the unique scoring of the Combined event, since McNeice surged to first place on the scorecards when her 68.1 Lead mark was added to her Boulder points (59.5). It’s unlikely we will see this unique Boulder and Lead Combined format ever again, but McNeice’s performance throughout the finals was a perfect example of why it’s an exhilarating way to structure a competition.

The Crowd Provided a Big Home-Court Advantage

It’s worth acknowledging how much the crowd of 6,000 spectators added to the vibe, which was also evident in the men’s final yesterday. Take, for example, the way the crowd clapped rhythmically in support of Oceana Mackenzie, or the way they chanted in unison for Oriane Bertone—“Or-i-ane! Or-i-ane! Or-i-ane!” Sure, both Mackenzie and Bertone probably would have liked to crank a little higher on the lead route (each fell below the headwall), but a highlight for each of their performances was the vociferous support from the audience. It’s not something normally heard at World Cups—at least not to such a loud and unified degree—perhaps because the Olympic crowd was comprised of just as many “casual” climbing fans as hardcore fans. Whatever the reason and impetus for such enthusiastic crowd noise, it was really cool.

Japan’s Ai Mori Proved Her Lead-Climbing Prowess

It’s hard to pick a single highlight for Japan’s Ai Mori. At a pure entertainment level, she fell while launching for the top hold—the closest that any finalist would come to sending the route. But by the numbers, such a jaw-dropping performance (a) established a new high point on the route by a significant margin and (b) gave Mori the lead on the Combined scorecards. It’s probably best to package all of that together and say that Mori’s attempt on the lead route was one of the most memorable parts of the women’s final. And it’s worth noting that if Lead was it’s own medal event—which it may well be soon—she would have taken Gold.

The Final Showdown

One could make an argument that the last 20 minutes of the final—with the successive attempts of Brooke Raboutou, Jessica Pilz, and Janja Garnbret—were among the most thrilling and intense moments in the history of the sport. That’s not a statement that should be made lightly, but consider how everything transpired:

First, Brooke Raboutou took a commanding lead on the Combined scores, her attempt on the lead route only coming to an end when she tried to stabilize and match on a hold in order to clip on the headwall.

Second, Jessica Pilz, in electrifying comparison, was able to make that tricky clip on the headwall, but was not able to overtake Raboutou in the Combined’s arithmetic of points.

Finally, Janja Garnbret came out and climbed masterfully—her finger, perhaps tweaked, seemed fine, and her nerves, perhaps rattled by some bouldering woes, seemed as calm as ever. She did not quite send the route; she fell when her fingertips sloughed off the edge of a hold a few moves shy of the top. But her Combined score resulted in a gold medal—making Garnbret the sport’s first back-to-back Olympic gold medalist. Raboutou and Pilz earned silver and bronze, respectively.

It felt like a storybook ending after a long week of toil and drama, highs and lows, happiness and heartbreak for so many competitors. And for the three women atop the podium at the end, it was a surefire passage into comp climbing’s storied history.

Women’s Combined Boulder & Lead Sport Climbing final results

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO): 168.5 (Boulder: 84.4, Lead: 84.1)
2. Brooke Raboutou (USA) 156.0 (Boulder: 84.0, Lead 72.0)
3. Jessica Pilz (AUT) 147.4 (Boulder 59.3, Lead 88.1)
4. Ai Mori (JPN) 135.1 (Boulder 39.0, Lead 96.1)
5. Erin McNeice (GBR) 127.6 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 68.1)
6. Chaehyun Seo (KOR) 105.0 (Boulder 28.9, Lead 76.1)
7. Oceana Mackenzie (AUS) 104.8 (Boulder 59.7, Lead 45.1)
8. Oriane Bertone (FRA) 104.5 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 45.0)

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Speed climbers were dealt a rough hand at the Tokyo Olympics when they were pitted against lead and bouldering specialists in a strange three-discipline combined format. Fortunately, speed climbing will be contested as a discipline all by itself at the Paris Olympics—proving, finally, who the best speed climbers in the world are.

Speed begins with a qualification round on August 5, then quarterfinal and final rounds on August 7.  In total, 14 climbers per gender will be vying for the speed medals. Here are the climbers to watch.

Favorite Speed Climbers at Paris Olympics (Men)

Sam Watson (USA)

When Team USA’s Sam Watson was just 15 years old, he was given the nickname “Sub-Six Sam” for breaking speed climbing’s hallowed six-second mark. In the years that followed, he continued to set the new standard for American youth speed climbing—including setting a World Record in the Male Youth A category (5.37 seconds) at the Youth World Championships in Dallas, Texas, in 2022. The youth accolades ensured Watson’s place in speed climbing history, but he was only getting started. He eventually smashed John Brosler’s long-standing (adult) American Record of 5.20 seconds with a run of 5.02. And then Watson went “sub-5-seconds”—a landmark achievement that only a handful of speed climbers have accomplished—and notched a new world record of 4.79 seconds at this year’s speed World Cup in Wujiang, China. Watson should be considered the favorite in the men’s field.

Career highlight (thus far): Time-wise, Sam Watson’s high-water mark was setting that world record of 4.79. (It’s worth noting he’s run even faster—4.66 seconds—in practice.) In terms of a noteworthy competition result, a win at a World Cup in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2022 ostensibly announced Watson to the world.

Why he could win in Paris: Watson, at 18 years old, owns the fastest time ever run by a human climber; if he can have clean runs in Paris, avoiding slips or false-starts, no one will be able to catch him.

Bassa Mawem (FRA)

If Sam Watson will cruise into the Paris Olympics with youthful zeal, France’s Bassa Mawem, at 39 years old, will possess all the wisdom, experience, and wherewithal that comes with age. Mawem’s participation at World Cups dates back to 2006—in fact, Mawem’s comp career predates the IFSC itself, as the governing body of World Cups during Mawem’s rookie year was the UIAA. Mawem has won multiple speed World Cups over the years, but, more importantly, he took part in the Tokyo Olympics several years ago—which enhanced his level of big-event experience. Unfortunately, those Tokyo Olympics were disastrous for Mawem, as he tore his bicep near the end of the qualifying round (although he did manage to clock an Olympic speed record of 5.45 seconds prior to the injury derailment). Fortunately, he is fully healed and better than ever, evidenced by a first-place finish at the European Continental event last year that earned him a ticket to the Paris Olympics.

Career highlight (thus far): A World Cup victory in Moscow, Russia, in 2019, saw Bassa Mawem beat China’s Long Cao, Iran’s Reza Alipour Shenazandifard, Indonesia’s Aspar Aspar, and others who were among the fastest men in the world (and still are).

Why he could win in Paris: Mawem is yet to go sub-5 in a competition, but he has come close. If some of the faster climbers in Paris stumble or false-start, look to Mawem to prevail by staying calm amid the intense Olympic pressure.

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Jinbao Long (CHN)

In 2021, the speed fan base became captivated by the Indonesian team, as Indonesian climbers began chipping away at the world record at an unprecedented rate. It was exciting, and as viewers got caught up in the ever-changing world records, it became easy to overlook the fact that the Chinese team—traditionally a speed powerhouse—was largely absent from the circuit due to lingering travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the China squad finally returned to the circuit in a big way, in 2022, it was Jinbao Long that led the charge. Long made the podium at a trio of successive speed World Cups in 2022—in Villars, Chamonix, and Edinburgh—and suddenly, with Team China’s reemergence, the dominance of the Indonesian team was not such a sure-thing anymore. Long eventually earned a silver medal at the World Championships in 2023 and qualified for the Paris Olympics, and it feels like he’s just starting to hit his stride. Fans can expect him to push the pace in Paris—and, along with his teammate Peng Wu, perhaps deliver multiple sub-5 runs—while being one of the most formidable challengers in the field.

Career highlight (thus far): Jinbao Long won a World Cup gold medal in Chamonix in 2022.

Why he could win in Paris: Long has repeatedly notched times near the five-second mark, and he is undoubtedly capable of running even faster. That mix of speed and uniformity could be his key to getting the gold medal. It doesn’t hurt that his compatriot and fellow Olympian Peng Wu recently clocked a blazing time of 4.83 seconds at the Olympic Qualifier Series. Perhaps that will give Long some healthy added pressure and motivation in Paris.

Veddriq Leonardo (INA)

There is a fascinating blip in the history of speed climbing’s fastest times. From approximately 2015 to 2021, the best times at World Cups typically hovered in the mid-5-second realm (5.76, 5.62, 5.55, 5.48, etc.). But then, at a World Cup in Salt Lake City in 2021, Indonesia’s Veddriq Leonardo set a new world record—5.20 seconds—and ushered in a whole new era of speed climbing. Suddenly there was no performative ceiling, and fans and pundits had to recalibrate perceptions of human potential in the speed discipline. Just as the sports world clamored to see a sprinter run a mile in less than four minutes in the spring of 1954, comp fans longed to witness a speed climber ascend a 15-meter wall in less than five seconds. Fittingly, when it finally happened, it was Leonardo who successfully accomplished it, clocking a run-time of 4.98 seconds at a World Cup in Seoul in 2023. Even though Leonardo no longer holds the world record (having relinquished it to Sam Watson earlier this year), Leonardo should still be considered one of the fastest men in the Olympic field and one of the favorites to win gold.

Career highlight (thus far): Veddriq Leonardo broke his own world record last year, which lowered his personal best time from 4.90 seconds to 4.85 seconds.

Why he could win in Paris: Aside from Sam Watson, there is nobody better than Veddriq Leonardo in the men’s field at consistently notching runs of sub-5.

Favorite Speed Climbers at Paris Olympics (Women)

Aleksandra Miroslaw (POL)

Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslaw once had an undefeated streak in speed World Cups that stretched from 2019 to the tail-end of the 2023 season. In a discipline rife with stumbles, slips, and false-starts, that is a remarkable statistic. Add to it that Miroslaw also owned the world record for part of that time—and still owns it. She also won World Championships in 2018 and 2019. Such accolades combine to form a resume that might never be duplicated on the comp scene. They also make Miroslaw an intimidating presence for anyone that will line up next to her for a race at the Paris Olympics. Additionally, Miroslaw will enter the Paris Olympics as a highly experienced competitor, as she participated in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 (and set the current Olympic record of 6.84 seconds). She will be the favorite in Paris, and, at 30 years old, she will likely be looking at the Paris Olympics as a fitting capstone to her career.

Career highlight (thus far): Aleksandra Miroslaw’s victories at the elite level date back to 2012, but a World Cup win this April in Wujiang proved that she’s still the best, even after all these years.

Why she could win in Paris: Miroslaw is the fastest woman in the world on the wall, a moniker earned and proven repeatedly at World Cups and World Championships.

Emma Hunt (USA)

The greatness of Team USA’s Emma Hunt was first viewed through an American lens. At a World Cup in Salt Lake City in 2022, she set an American national record of 7.17 seconds. In the months and years that followed, she repeatedly improved on that record (breaking it nearly 10 times over the course of the next two years) and ultimately landed on the current national record of 6.30 seconds. But as she claimed her space in the United States’ record book, she also made her presence known at the global level, particularly by earning World Cup medals in 2022 and 2023 (and a gold medal at Salt Lake City earlier this year). She’s yet to clock a time comparable to Miroslaw’s personal best of 6.24 seconds, but Hunt is extremely close. If Hunt lines up against Miroslaw at the Paris Olympics, it could very likely be the popcorn race of the event.

Career highlight (thus far): Emma Hunt’s silver medal at last year’s World Championships in Bern, Switzerland, was the first speed World Championship medal for an American woman.

Why she could win in Paris: Hunt’s American record, which was set at this year’s National Team Trials, is just 0.1 seconds slower than the world record. If there is anyone who is statistically capable of inching out Miroslaw on the speed wall and claiming Olympic gold, it’s Hunt.

Lijuan Deng (CHN)

China’s Lijuan Deng has been on the circuit since 2018, but her breakout year was 2022. She won two World Cups in a row that season—in Villars and Chamonix—and has more or less hovered around the podiums ever since. Furthermore, although Deng’s best competition times—around 6-and-a-half seconds—don’t quite nudge up against the world record the way that Emma Hunt’s best times do, Deng has more World Cup medals. Plus, analyzing Deng’s Olympic potential in that manner is sort of splitting hairs, as Deng seems to be perpetually improving. The fact is, Deng should be considered one of the top-tier speed climbers in the Olympic field, and Deng is someone who could spoil the party, so to speak, for the favorite, Miroslaw.

Career highlight (thus far): Lijuan Deng took part in last year’s World Championships, but her tenth place finish there did not do justice to her capabilities. She’s better than that. A better representation of her skill would be her first-place finish at the Asian Qualifier Series in Jakarta last year, which resulted in her Olympic berth.

Why she could win in Paris: Deng has an ability to consistently deliver smooth races in the pressure-cooker of competition, even if her times don’t shatter records.

Piper Kelly (USA)

There was a time, particularly in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics several years ago, when Piper Kelly was the face of American speed climbing. She owned the national record, and she was adjusting to the three-discipline Combined format while vying for a ticket to those Tokyo Olympics. But then she dislocated her shoulder, which proved to be an unfortunate termination to those Olympic ambitions. Her climbing career halted for a long time and she was still recovering from multiple dislocations—and surgery—when hype for the Paris Olympics began years later. Many fans didn’t want to admit it, but Kelly’s chances of returning to her post-injury level seemed unlikely. Yet, Kelly re-entered the World Cup scene and showed remarkable consistency. She participated in five World Cups in 2023 and always finished within the top 30. That same year, 2023, she won at the Pan Ams in Santiago, Chile, and punched her Olympic ticket. She clocked a run of 6.98 seconds earlier this year—her first time going sub-7—and it feels like she still has a lot of rocket fuel left in the tank.

Career highlight (thus far): Winning at the Pan Ams was the most impressive victory of Piper Kelly’s career, particularly since it entailed beating American teammates Emma Hunt (who false-started) and Sophia Curcio.

Why she could win in Paris: Kelly has been since her return to full form—particularly with personal coach Albert Ok—and her times have steadily improved. As a result, there’s a growing feeling that Kelly’s best-ever run could happen at the Olympics.

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A few days ago, we published a piece titled, Fans were quick to toss out names and scenarios in the comments, but it quickly occurred to us that some of the names being volleyed around in that fun speculation were not climbers who will actually be climbing at the Olympics. It’s understandable—the Olympics’ and the field is small, limited to . So, we thought we’d take this opportunity to list some of the names that were brought up and explain the reasons for their Olympic absence.

Men’s Division

Sean Bailey: Bailey is arguably this biggest American name on the World Cup circuit this season. He won a gold medal in and then clinched back-to-back wins at and . He made a run at Olympic qualification in 2019 and 2020, but ultimately the two American Olympic berths in the men’s division were earned by Nathaniel Coleman and Colin Duffy. Still, Bailey’s success since then has been a of comeback and perseverance, and it’s quite possible that he would not be having this dream season if he was also training for the Olympics. Frankly, we like the way things worked out for Bailey.

Veddriq Leonardo: One of the most exciting storylines in the climbing world this year was Indonesia’s Leonardo smashing the speed climbing world record in Salt Lake City. He also notched a decisive victory at the Speed World Cup in Villars one month later and nearly broke the world record again. But all this dominance in Speed by Leonardo (and his Indonesian compatriot Kiromal Katibin, who too) came after the Olympic qualification pathway for all competitors had already concluded. Timing being what it was, Leonardo was just a little late in his ascendancy to be a part of this Olympics. But definitely keep an eye on him for the —where Speed will be its own separate discipline.

Stefano Ghisolfi: There’s no question that Ghisolfi is one of the best competitors on the Italian team. He won the most recent Lead World Cup in , and placed second a couple of other times. He was part of the Olympics qualification pathway beginning back at the 2019 World Championships. He placed 19th and didn’t clinch an Olympic berth there, although his teammate Ludovico Fossali did. In some ways Ghisolfi became a victim of circumstance after that. One of the Olympics’ went to Italian boulderer Michael Piccolruaz in April 2020, meaning that the Olympic quota had been filled for Italy’s men’s division. As a result, any chance of Olympic qualification ended for Ghisolfi. However, like Team USA’s Sean Bailey, Ghisolfi has managed to turn those lemons into lemonade on this season’s World Cup circuit. His channel is also more popular than ever, so it all seemed to work out fine for Ghisolfi.

Reza Alipour: Prior to Indonesia’s Veddriq Leonardo becoming the biggest name in Speed earlier this season, the reigning superstar of the discipline was Iran’s Reza Alipour Shenazandifard. He held the men’s Speed world record for approximately five years. Alipour wasn’t part of the when it kicked off with the Combined portion of the 2019 World Championships, although many pundits expected him to make push for an Olympic berth at later events. But then the pandemic happened. Alipour’s nation of Iran is part of the IFSC’s Asian Council, and the Asia Continental Championships eventually got cancelled as a result of the pandemic. As a result, Alipour, arguably the best speed climber in the world at the time, was left without a chance to make a true push for the Olympics. It was a shame, but at least Alipour has returned to the World Cup circuit this season in top form.

Daniel Woods: People who follow competition climbing closely know that Daniel Woods has not been part of the World Cup circuit for a long time. Still, he’s obviously a marquee name to more casual fans, and we’ve heard his name tossed around in Olympic conversation more than a few times by climbers. Also, Woods’ recent ascent of proved that he’s still one of the best climbers in the world. But looking analytically at past results, his best years on the international circuit were 2008-2011, highlighted by a in 2010. He never took part in the qualification pathway for these Olympics, although he certainly played a part in laying the foundation with his past years of dedication to the competition scene.

Alex Honnold: Honnold is the biggest name in the sport, so it’s only natural that some fans expected him to be on the roster for the Olympics. However, like Woods, Honnold was never part of the Olympic qualification pathway— and Honnold has always focused more on outdoor projects than the competition circuit. That being said, there are few pro climbers who have done more to promote and stoke the Olympic flame than Honnold over the last few years. He has expressed excitement for climbing’s Olympic inclusion in multiple interviews, and the entire second season of his podcast—which kicks off this week—is dedicated to the Olympics. He will also be providing commentary for the climbing coverage of the Olympics, so he will actually be in the Olympics, just not as a competitor.

Women’s Division

Natalia Grossman: If there is one particularly intriguing name to imagine on the Olympic roster, it’s Grossman—because she has beaten a number of qualified Olympians in various disciplines on the World Cup circuit this year. But the choice to not be part of the Olympics came entirely from Grossman herself, and good on her for having such self-awareness and self-assuredness. In a with Climbing, in response to a question whether the 2020 Olympics were ever a goal, Grossman (who was in college at the time) responded: “Not really. I think it’s really cool, but…if I make something a goal, I need to put the time and effort into it. So many athletes who have that 2020 Olympics goal are probably not in school, or they are just dedicating a lot of their time to climbing. And a lot of those people [training for the 2020 Olympics] have become burnt out because they have been training for so long. The first qualification event was in August, and then one in November, and then in March. It’s hard training for pretty much a whole year. That’s very taxing.”

Oriane Bertone: The standout rookie of the current World Cup season has been France’s Bertone, who put silver medals from and Salt Lake City on her adult competition resume. However, being just 16 years old now, she was still on the youth circuit when the Olympic qualification pathway got underway a couple of years ago. If this World Cup season is any indication, certainly look for Bertone to be a major name in the next Olympic qualification pathway, for those 2024 Olympics in her home country of France.

Ashima Shiraishi: Another competitor who has had a great start to the 2021 season is Team USA’s Shiraishi. Most recently she placed fourth at the World Cup in µţ°ůľ±˛ą˛Ôç´Ç˛Ô. She was part of the Olympic qualification pathway, but admitted to dealing with some personal issues that resonate as loudly as ever now with the larger cultural dialogue about athletes and mental health and wellbeing. She posted on Instagram in 2019: “The World champs did not go well for me and it was the worst lead performance I’ve had at a comp. This setback reminded me of how important your mental game is in climbing…I was not capable of being stronger than my emotions and could not forget about my personal life when I was on the wall. While climbing, I was taken aback by the lack of confidence and body awareness which led to making costly mistakes.” We applauded Shiraishi’s honesty and openness at that time, and we’re thrilled to see her enjoying the competition circuit again now.

Emma Hunt: Team USA’s Speed national record holder, Hunt, was not part of the Olympic qualification pathway when it kicked off in 2019. She did take part in the last American event with Olympic implications, the Pan-American Championships in early 2020. However, by that time Team USA’s Olympic quota in the women’s division had already been filled by Brooke Raboutou and Kyra Condie. Additionally, it’s really this year—2021—that Hunt has taken her speed climbing to a whole new level, evidenced by breaking her own national record three times in the women’s final round of the in March. The 2024 Olympics are a long way off, but expect Hunt—and her compatriot John Brosler in the men’s division—to be among the American faces of the Speed discipline in the leadup over the next couple of years.

Lauren Bair: Based on results, Bair has to be considered one of the best American all-arounders (i.e., the best at the Combined discipline) who is not on the Olympic roster—specifically because she won USA Climbing’s last year, and placed third at the Pan-American Championships in 2020. But the planned format for the 2024 Olympics will combine just Lead and Boulder, and that would suit Bair. If she continues competing and decides that she wants to make an Olympic push in the coming years, she could emerge as one of the favorites.

Emily Harrington: Harrington made headlines in 2020 for free climbing El Capitan’s . Similar to climbers like Daniel Woods and Alex Honnold, Harrington is one of the biggest names in our sport…but not currently a part of the competition milieu. However, Harrington does have some unique Olympic distinction, as she participated in the as part of a bouldering demonstration. Basically, Harrington climbed at the Olympics before climbing was even a thing at the Olympics, and we think that’s pretty darn cool.

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